Any project is a temporary endeavor undertaken that can be defined as a set of tasks that need to be completed to reach a specific goal. The main challenge of project management is to achieve the required objectives while considering such constraints as time, quality, and budget.
A good project manager has to establish a clear communication plan, determine where potential risk lies, specify resource allocation, strive to meet project deadlines, etc. Taking care of so many things can be stressful, especially if you do not have any experience in project management.
If important details slip your mind and you do not have a clear view of the big picture, this may not come as a surprise. How can you successfully change management plans and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure successful project performance?
Applying basic project management principles can help you go in the right direction. Though the project management book of knowledge does not have an official list of basic principles, there are several studies that help to highlight the most important ones.
The principles of project management are not strict rules, so you may need to adjust some of them to fit your specific project requirements. Here are 13 universal project management principles for beginners:
1. Set clear project goals and project objectives
Not having clear project goals and project objectives is one of the most common mistakes that may lead to a failed project. Therefore, this project management principle is a crucial element for successful implementation.
It is recommended that goals be set by applying the SMART paradigm (specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related). They should be defined before your project starts, and the approval process by all stakeholders and project sponsors is completed. This will help avoid misunderstandings during the initiation phase and implementation process.
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2. Determine your project deliverables
Project deliverables include anything promised to your customer as an output of your project. It may be tangible or intangible. For instance, it can be a software product, a report, training materials, server upgrades, or any other type of service.
It should be something specifically created during your project's life cycle. After setting goals, you need to determine your deliverables and make sure everyone is on the same page about what outcome is expected and what determines the project's success.
3. Create the project structure
It can be hard to control the stages of your project without a proper structure and a project plan template. You might easily get distracted by less important things.
The first and foremost step in project planning is to define your task priorities, which will help you achieve maximum productivity and complete your project on time. You can also segment large projects into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Identifying milestones is another essential factor of efficient management. They represent certain phases of your project and show important milestone achievements.
Settling milestones allows you to monitor progress during the process of implementation. For instance, completing a crucial task your project depends on is a major achievement.
4. Define clear roles and responsibilities for project team members
Defining clear roles is one of the most important project management principles. Project teams tend to work more effectively when they share a common understanding of each other's responsibilities.
It helps reduce confusion and micro-management and increase productivity. If roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined, it may lead to a lack of clarity among project managers and other team members in regard to the expectations they have of one another when working together on achieving certain goals. It may result in misunderstanding and employee conflicts.
5. Create a project management charter
A project charter is a document that should entirely describe your project. It should contain a general overview of your budget, project scope, implementation plan, the main stakeholders and project sponsors, goals and constraints, and benefits.
Keep it short; there is no need to cover every detail in this document. Have your employees and project management team provide some insights on how to better write your charter.
6. Build a culture of accountability
Setting accountability before your project begins is an essential component of effective management. At your kickoff meeting, you need to make your expectations clear by establishing an accountability system.
Each team member should understand how you expect them to hold each other accountable. Projects mostly involve interdependent tasks and pursue individual responsibility. So explain how they relate to one another and how your employees need to perform their work for the benefit of your entire team.
If you have to deal with poor performance, try to handle it during one-on-one meetings. If you want your team members to improve, you need to provide specific examples of what is lacking, explain what standard is required, and what steps should be taken to make their performance better.
7. Balance your resources
The amount of available resources in many cases is limited. Going over budget is one of the main reasons projects fail.
It indicates that the project manager and supporting executives lost control, which has a negative impact on your company's reputation. So you need to manage your resources carefully, especially if you work on a large-scale project.
To efficiently allocate them, you need to conduct an estimation first. It is recommended to consider unexpected expenses, holidays, various corporate events, and employee vacations.
Make sure to avoid resource over-allocation. It happens when a resource is used for a greater amount of work.
You may use such tools and methods in judging experts, published estimation data, alternative analysis, and project management software. It will help you evaluate your resources and constraints to implement careful budgeting and find the best combination for your project.
8. Evaluate potential risks
Conducting a thorough risk assessment allows you to understand how a particular risk can impact your project in terms of quality, schedule, and expenses. Though this is not an exact science, to identify project risks, you may consult with subject experts and review the technical details of your project, historical data, and the backgrounds of your team members.
Also, such instruments as SWOT analysis, brainstorming, Delphi techniques, and influence diagrams are used. Once you have determined the risks, you may work on creating a risk management plan. If you have an appropriate strategy, you can minimize or eliminate their negative impact on your project.
9. Be ready for changes
To effectively manage your work, you need to consider how an adjustment or replacement may impact your processes. This project management principle is closely connected with risk management.
A performance management baseline will help you determine the effect a certain change can have on your project as a whole. Your team members need to evaluate what impact a change in one area of your project may have on other areas.
For example, if you have a change in the project scope or performance management baseline, you will be able to overview the impact and monitor the effects of the changes that occurred on the project.
All changes and project activities should be documented to maintain an audit trail and ensure compliance with internal and external controls. Different types of change management tools can help research, analyze, and implement changes.
They may include spreadsheets, Gantt charts, and flowcharts. Large companies use software applications specifically designed to assist managers with planning, tracking, and delivering changes. Using software lets you provide stakeholders with an integrated view of various changes and their impact on your project.
10. Ensure effective and clear communication
Successful projects are often based on efficient communication. It helps unite team members and stakeholders to a project's strategy and goals. It allows each participant to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.
Without efficient communication, there is a possibility of efforts being duplicated by multiple people. Also, essential goals and milestones can be missed, and resources may be misallocated.
Studies show that improved communication significantly increases the likelihood of project success. So, make sure to provide communication guidelines at the beginning of your project planning and specify the tools you would like to use in your work process. You also should explain what type of information needs to be shared and who should be notified in particular cases.
11. Track and measure progress
Tracking progress throughout the entire project lifecycle is crucial since it helps team members stay motivated and perform better work. Ask such questions as "Is the project on time?" or "Does it need to be redirected from its original scope?".
You can measure performance baselines and key performance indicators, which implies converting specific data into useful metrics. KPIs provide an overview of your project's current state and allow you to evaluate your overall progress.
These indicators should be linked to a particular objective, so be realistic and simple and create a time frame. They are divided into categories such as budget, quality, effectiveness, and deadlines.
Communication is key to ensuring your project runs smoothly. Check in with your team members regularly. It will allow you to build trust and help them when they are having difficulties performing certain tasks.
Getting started with tasks & projects
Enter your email to download a guide that will get you started with any project management software.
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12. Foster open communication
Project transparency is a culture of visibility within a team project. It implies being honest and sharing all relevant information about your project. Multiple surveys show that honesty is one of the factors that determines employee happiness at work.
Your aim is to make your team feel they are a part of your project. However, make sure not to share any confidential or personal information.
To provide visibility, you can use project management tools. It will allow you to make your project data available to each team member. With this software, everyone can see the status of your project, share calendars, and track progress.
13. Create a supportive environment
The team's ability to produce effective results depends on the cultural environment of your company. Make sure to create an environment that supports the needs of those participating in your project. It helps keep your employees motivated and improve productivity. Also, remember your style of management should be suited for the project at hand.
Choose the Right Tool for Project Management
Bitrix24 provides an efficient tool that lets users set tasks, manage workflows, track performance indicators, control deadlines, and create to-do lists and task dependencies. The platform offers unlimited projects, tasks, and subtasks.
You can also track time spent on each task and use other time management instruments. Multiple collaboration tools guarantee effective communication between your employees and external users. They include social intranet portals, audio and video calls, Kanban boards, file sharing, work chats, shared calendars, and more.
